BC Caribou Recovery Program

Stakeholders Teleconference Minutes

January 21, 2019 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PST

Stakeholders from whom an RSVP was received Government Participants

Organization Name Ministry Name
BC Snowmobile Federation Donegal Wilson FLNR Chris Ritchie
Development BC Carlie Smith FLNR Heather Wiebe
Coal Assets Canada, Glencore Matthew White FLNR Joelle Scheck
Conuma Coal Michelle Marshall FLNR Jameson Mailloux
Taseko Mines Limited Glenn Wagner FLNR Darcy Peel
Tolko Industries Ltd. Murray Wilson FLNR David Muter
Myriad Consulting Inc. Andy Ackerman FLNR Bryan Williams
Aeolis Wind Wagner Ksenhuk ENV Celine Davis
North Peace Rod and Gun Club Jim Little ENV Alec Dale
Aeolis Wind Juergen Puetter FLNR Leo DeGroot
City of Prince George Andrea Byrne EMPR Chris Pasztor
Village of Pouce Coupe Christopher Leggett FLNR Leo DeGroot
Association for Mineral Rob Stevens FLNR Russ Laroche
Exploration
District of Chetwynd Carol Newsom FLNR Tara DeCourcy
Commercial Bear Viewing Katherine MacRae ENV Victoria Klassen Jeffery
Association
Stantec Joanna Preston FLNR Ches Clem
New Gold Inc Sachi De Souza ENV Megan Sullivan
HCTF Shannon West TAC Tania Johnson
Yellowstone to Yukon Tim Burkhart AGRI Andrea Shaw
Conservation Initiative
Canadian Association of Mike Doyle ENV David Tesch
Geophysical Contractors
HD Mining International Ltd. Brandon Lewis FLNR Janet Hughes
Northern Rockies Mike Gilbert
Business Council of BC Denise Mullen
Canadian Mountain Holidays LP Dave Butler
Conservation Northwest Joe Scott
Enbridge Pipelines Inc. Jennifer Russell
Dawson Creek Chamber of Kathleen Connolly
Commerce
BC Nature Executive Joan Snyder
MLA Peace River North Dan Davies
Wilderness Committee Charlotte Dawe
Richard Mumford
Telkwa Coal Kirsten Roberts
Imperial Metals Corporation Jim Miller-Tait
New Executive Director David Muter (Chris Ritchie/David Muter)

• Chris Ritchie, currently acting Executive Director, Species at Risk Recovery, is retiring Jan. 31, 2019.
• David Muter has been hired into this role. David looks forward to working with stakeholders on
this file.
• Interviews are currently underway for Chris’s base position as Director, Caribou Recovery Program.

Rescue of South Selkirk and Purcells South herd survivors (Leo Degroot)

• The decision was made to capture and move the 1-2 remaining members of the south Selkirk herd
and the remaining 4 members of the Purcell south herd to the Revelstoke maternity pen.
• On Jan 23, 1 female from south Selkirk and 1 each male and female from the Purcell south were
successfully captured and moved to the Revelstoke maternity pen.
• The remaining Purcell south bulls would not budge from under tree cover and could not be caught.
• The lone calf in the maternity pen was very excited to have company.
• No decisions have been made about capturing the remaining bulls or the process/timing of the
release of the caribou now in the pen.

Uptake for habitat restoration fund (Joelle Scheck)

• In 2018, the BC government via the Provincial Caribou Recovery Program set up a Caribou Habitat
Restoration Fund (CHRF) with the Habitat and Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) to administer
funds specific to restoring high use caribou habitat impacted by anthropogenic disturbance using
functional and ecological restoration methods.
• An initial grant of $2 million was provided to HCTF from the province and the province has
committed additional funding of $2 million per year over the life of the Provincial Caribou Recovery
Program.
• Last August, HCTF implemented an small internal call for proposals to ensure ongoing provincial
caribou restoration projects were allocated funds to continue and in late November of 2018, HCTF
put out a second Call for Proposals that was open to any individual or organization capable of
restoring habitat for caribou in BC. This second Call for Proposals closed on Friday Jan. 11 and 19
applications were received totalling approximately $1.8 million dollars for the 19/20 fiscal and
these proposals identified approximately $5 million more in needed funds to see these projects
through to completion.
• Applications were received from government, First Nations and consultants.
• To maximize the benefits to caribou, the province identified priority herds and developed
guidelines for selecting restoration areas and activities that will benefit the herds. BC requires a
coordinated and strategic approach to restoring caribou habitat. The province identified high and
medium priority herds for the 19/20 funding cycle. The province considered herd status, current
population and trend, level of industrial exploration and development, and existing government
direction (e.g. existing strategic/tactical plans that identify restoration as a priority).
• In collaboration with the Program, HCTF developed comprehensive evaluation criteria and will be
using an independent technical review committee to inform decisions on applications. Review and
decisions on project funding will occur over the next couple of months to ensure that on-the-
ground activities can start up as soon as conditions allow in spring/summer.
 • This second Call for Proposals has highlighted a few proposed minor changes by HCTF to eligible
activities (e.g. adding lichen seeding under the examples of ecological restoration activities).

Update on Section 11 Agreement (Celine Davis)

• The draft Section 11 Bilateral Conservation Agreement (S.11 Agreement) with Environment and
Climate Change Canada (ECCC) under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) is being finalized but is
awaiting completion of the Partnership agreement.
• The Central group was the original focus of the version previously shared, but it has been enhanced
to include the Northern and Southern groups as well.
• Engagement on both the Section 11 and Partnership agreements will occur at the same time and
we are preparing engagement materials.
• BC’s commitments will align with the provincial caribou recovery program.
• A workplan is being created.
• Engagement will have a multi-tiered approach, including down to the most granular level of herd
plans for each of the 54 herds, and there will be a variety of opportunities for Indigenous groups,
communities and stakeholders to have input at all levels.

Update on Partnership Agreement (Russ Laroche)

• Negotiations have been ongoing for almost a year to develop a Partnership agreement is between
BC, West Moberly First Nation, Saulteau First Nation and the federal government.
• The Partnership agreement for the Southern Mountain Caribou, Central Group includes Pine,
Narraway and Quintette Local Population units.
• Parties are getting close to agreement on the key components of the agreements and are hoping to
have stable drafts to start more formal engagement early in February.
• Nothing has been signed and we are committed to not signing any agreement until after
engagement with communities, stakeholders, industry and First Nations. We want to ensure that
all interested parties interests are reflected in caribou management.
• Currently the federal government and BC are reviewing draft recovery options and coming up with
expected funding needs to support these options. This will help inform the federal financial
package.

Update on the boreal (Joelle Scheck)

• The joint BC- Fort Nelson First Nations scientific- technical team continue to work towards a
collaborative recovery implementation plan with a target timeline for completion of late spring
2019.
• The joint BC-Fort Nelson First Nation have defined high use/high value habitat through polygon
delineation and have defined three boreal caribou zones from highest habitat protection to
protection with a restoration priority emphasis to more of a management practices zone.
• The team is currently working on defining habitat and population objectives for each herd and is
developing and assessing options that consider socio economic values as well as caribou recovery.
Both the OGC and MEMPR are active participants at the table.
 • An initial Timber Harvest Landbase Analysis has been completed for both Fort St. John and Fort
Nelson Timber Supply Areas. These types of analyses will be done for all options that are
developed.
• Blueberry River and Doig River First Nations have been engaged and will join the planning effort for
the Chinchaga herd.
• BC is reaching out to other Nations to ensure opportunities to engage on the plan and in the
process. Letters to go out imminently.
• Drafting of the revised Boreal Medzih Caribou Recovery plan documents is underway.

Meeting with mineral sector (Darcy Peel)

• Last Monday’s meeting was cancelled due to weather that kept attendees from travelling.

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy update (Victoria Klassen Jeffery)

• The next step is issuing a discussion paper that will build on what was heard from the first rounds
of engagement (last year) and will contain a general policy framework for further discussion.
• This will be followed by more targeted consultations with Indigenous nations, local governments,
stakeholders and citizens in spring 2019.

Questions/Comments
(Paraphrased, speakers noted where possible)

Q: (Andy Ackerman) Asked about opportunities for stakeholder involvement for the BC- Fort Nelson First
Nations recovery implementation plan and informed the call that trappers have been receiving letters
stating they will not be able to use portions of their traplines.
A: (Joelle Scheck) The team has been engaging directly with the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality,
and acknowledge they are hearing the need for more engagement. Once a draft plan has been developed
it will go out for a 60-day review period. We are not sure if the letters are related to caribou recovery
work. Joelle will follow up. Several others also expressed concerns about gaps in engagement, a request
for an engagement timeline was made, and several participants requested information on the letters.

Q: (Andy Ackerman) Stated the lack of consultation on the Section 11 agreement is causing serious issues
and information is needed sooner rather than later.
Q: (Aaron) Do we have baseline data that can be shared and how current is it, and is year after year
growth being considered?
A: (Chris Ritchie) There is survey data to share. Surveys are mostly done in winter, so some data will be
refreshed this March. Not all herds are counted every year. A quarter to a third of herds have fairly recent
tracking of their trends, but there is danger in determining trends with data from only a few years.
https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/ftp/HTH/external/!publish/Caribou%20Recovery%20Program/Herd%20Plans/
Q: (Donegal Wilson) Are herd plans informing data now? When will consultation happen?
A: (Chris Ritchie) It is providing some information on predators, etc. 8-10 priority herd plans are entering
the 2nd phase which will involve opportunity for more input to help inform decision makers.
Q: (Joan Snyder/Donegal Wilson) Indicated there is some confusion around if the Section 11 agreement is
for SMC only?
A: (Celine Davis) Clarified the Central group was the original focus of the version of the agreement which
was previously shared, but it has been enhanced to include the Northern and Southern groups as well. We
hope to soon be able to share the agreements on EngageBC.

Q: (Dan Rose) Feels the Partnership agreement deserves the same commitment to consultation as Section
11.
A: (Celine Davis/Russ Laroche) The EngageBC site will also have details on the Partnership agreement and
confirmed we do not intend any less level of engagement on it.

Q: (Aaron) Why were north east stakeholder meetings cancelled? It is the public that you need to talk
to. Would like to see engagement plans for both agreements.
A: (Chris Ritchie) Initially they were to be in camera meetings between provincial and local governments,
but there was some disagreement about the style of the presentation resulting in postponing the
meetings.

Q: (Aaron – re: Species at Risk update) You are only engaging with First Nations, correct?
A: (Victoria Klassen Jeffery) The plan is to start scheduling meetings in February/March with local
governments, First Nations, stakeholders and communities.

Q: (Andy Ackerman) Stated his desire to be included and offered to help set this up.
Q: (Mike Gilbert) Where exactly in the hierarchy does local government fit – is not sure we realize the
repercussions to local governments.
A: (Victoria Klassen Jeffery) Noted, is very cognizant of this.
A: (Chris Ritchie) In the summer there was bundled engagement on four wildlife-related items which had a
web-based opportunity for the general public to participate as well as specific opportunities for First
Nations, local governments and other stakeholders. We are not purposely omitting anyone but are
cognizant of potential engagement overload.

Q: (Aaron/Donegal Wilson) How was the online engagement promoted? Feels we did not promote it well,
and wonders if we feel the process should change hearing what we are hearing.
A: (Chris Ritchie/Jameson Mailloux) Agreed a different process moving forward is a good idea. We are
working on an interactive map that should help with this.

Q: (Donegal Wilson) Requested a spreadsheet detailing a list/timeline of engagement

opportunities/processes.
A: (Chris Ritchie) Committed to working to create this.